Axillary Nerve Injury

Axillary nerve injuries generally are uncommon in sports and have been estimated to represent less than 1% of all nerve injuries. Most of the problems are associated with a trauma, such as an anterior shoulder dislocation or a combined brachial plexus injury.

Postoperative complications also have been reported. Another uncommon syndrome involves compression of the axillary nerve within the quadrilateral space. This clinical entity initially was identified in overhead athletes, particularly baseball players, but has since been identified following trauma to the upper extremity or fall on an outstretched hand.